Murad orders timely completion of projects launched with foreign assistance

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday presided over a meeting to review progress in foreign-assisted projects (FAPs) and directed the provincial local government, works and energy departments to expedite work on those projects.

He also directed the relevant secretaries to submit regular progress reports.

Officials said Shah directed the ministers and secretaries to personally monitor the FAPs and ensure accountability.

The meeting was held at the CM House and attended by provincial ministers, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Personal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif, Planning and Development Board Chairman Najam Shah, Energy Secretary Musadiq Khan, Local Government Secretary Khalid Hyder Shah, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, Works Secretary Mohammad Ali Khoso and Agriculture Secretary Sohail Qureshi.

The meeting was told that the Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (CLICK) project was a flagship initiative at a cost of Rs62.316 billion, for which Rs24.294 billion had already been released, and Rs14.3 billion utilised.

The CM directed Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani to personally monitor progress in the project. He said that from now on, relevant department secretaries would present updates rather than the project directors (PDs).

The main components of the CLICK project include disbursement of Rs154.24 million in performance-based grants to local councils, of which Rs53.77 million had been disbursed. Additionally, the cost of capacity building and technical components was Rs19.98 billion, of which Rs9.97 million had been utilised.

It was reported that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) had seven schemes worth $13 million for the fiscal year 2023-24 currently in advanced procurement.

Furthermore, the KMC had proposed six schemes with an allocation of $13 million for the fiscal year 2024-25. Screening for these schemes had been completed, and they were now awaiting inter-agency approval for no objection certificates (NOCs).

The Town Municipal Corporations (TMC) had 18 ongoing schemes for the fiscal year 2022-23 totalling $8.5 million, with work commenced in August 2024.

The CM was informed that a door-to-door property tax survey was in its advanced stages although legal hurdles had delayed its rollout. Shah directed swift resolution to unlock Karachi’s tax potential.

It was also reported that Karachi’s solid waste management had been transforming as contracts for Garbage Transfer Stations (GTS) at Sharafi Goth, Dinga Morr, Imtiaz and Gutter Bagicha, as well as the landfill site in Jam Chakro had been awarded to Chinese firms. The mobilisation of machinery was currently under way, marking significant progress in the city’s waste management infrastructure.

The Sindh Solar Energy Project backed by the World Bank aimed at bringing renewable energy solutions to the province through a Rs 27.4 billion solar park initiative, the meeting was told. Sindh Energy Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah confirmed that the procurement processes for the project had begun.

The meeting also discussed the Water and Agriculture Transformation (SWAT) project launched for Rs70.4 billion to improve farming in Sindh. With 61 field facilitators and 750 farmers trained, innovative techniques such as raised bed sowing and crop rotation were being adopted under the project.

Sindh Agriculture Minister Mohammad Bux Mahar gave a presentation to the CM stating that a smart subsidy programme aimed to cover 50 per cent of production costs for oilseed, pulse and horticulture production over six years, targeting 100,000 acres with a budget of $17 million.

It was also said that digital tools were improving agricultural data collection and market systems and flood response measures had supported farmers.

The CM remarked that these projects would enhance urban livability, agricultural productivity and clean energy. “We will ensure timely completion with uncompromised quality,” Shah said.

The meeting was told that the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Emergency Flood Assistance Project was a $48.4 billion initiative aimed at rebuilding infrastructure damaged during the recent floods and had been making significant progress with 40 roads currently under construction across the province.

The CM stressed the need for completing the project on time and instructed the relevant authorities to ensure that all roads were finished by 2025. Works Minister Haji Ali Hassan informed the CM that construction on these roads began in January 2024, and 35.5 per cent of the work was already complete. The CM expressed satisfaction with the progress and directed the works department to prioritise the completion of specific roads by the end of this year, including four roads in Thatta, two in Badin, and one each in Umerkot and Mirpurkhas.